“THEY STOOD toe-to-toe with Hawke's Bay and Margaret River [of Australia] and all but the finest Burgundy [of France]”. High praise indeed from the panel that assessed 128 South African wines for their Chardonnay report in the May '25 issue of the UK's Decanter Magazine. The wines were submitted by SA producers or their agents. The judges: wine writer and consultant Jason Millar, who has a background in the UK wine trade; Master of Wine and Decanter contributor Andy Howard, regional chair at the Decanter World Wine Awards; and wine consultant/writer Roger Jones, also a DWWA judge, with a particular interest in the hospitality trade.
The most highly rated wines in the ‘blind tasting' were from Elgin, Greyton, Hemel-en-Aarde and “the brisker parts of Stellenbosch”, with the top score awarded for a 2020 Elgin beauty from Richard Kershaw MW. More than 50% of the wines tasted were scored 90-plus on Decanter's 100-point scale – 98 denoting great, exceptional and profound, 95+ for excellent wine of great complexity and character – with the majority of the top wines on shelf at around or above £50/R1200 in the UK (considerably lower in South Africa before shipping fees, duties and taxes).
98 POINTS
Kershaw Clonal Selection Chardonnay 2020
Also rated 97/100 at 2024 International Wine & Spirit Competition
R725pb ex-cellar, Elgin
97 POINTS
Lismore Estate Reserve Chardonnay 2022
R650pb ex-cellar, Greyton
Whalehaven Seascape Reserve Chardonnay 2023
Also rated 96/100 at 2024 International Wine Challenge
R540pb ex-cellar, Hemel-en-Aarde Village
95 POINTS
Kershaw Deconstructed Kogelberg Ironstone CY548 Chardonnay 2021
R1250pb ex-cellar, Elgin
Leeu Passant Stellenbosch Chardonnay 2022
R915pb ex-cellar, Franschhoek
Oldenburg Rondekop Una V Chardonnay 2023
R1418pb ex-cellar, Banghoek-Stellenbosch
Paserene Chardonnay 2021
R750pb ex-cellar, Franschhoek
Restless River Ava Marie Chardonnay 2022
R620pb ex-cellar, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
Uva Mira Single Tree Chardonnay 2022
R900pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
Uva Mira The Mira Chardonnay 2022
R350pb ex-cellar, Helderberg-Stellenbosch
Whalehaven Sandstone Strata Chardonnay 2023
Also rated 95/100 at 2024 International Wine Challenge
R300pb ex-cellar, Hemel-en-Aarde Village
94 POINTS
Cap Maritime Chardonnay 2023
R475pb ex-Boekenhoutskloof cellar, Franschhoek
Jordan Nine Yards Chardonnay 2023
R625pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
Oldenburg Chardonnay 2023
R480pb ex-cellar, Banghoek-Stellenbosch
Restless River Chardonnay 2023
R335pb ex-cellar, Upper Hemel-en-Aarde
93 POINTS
Almenkerk Chardonnay 2023
R310pb ex-cellar, Elgin
Glen Carlou Quartz Stone Chardonnay 2023
R455pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Paarl
Jordan Timepiece Chardonnay 2023
R750pb ex-cellar, Stellenbosch Kloof
Oak Valley Groenlandberg Chardonnay 2022
Also rated 97/100 at 2024 Decanter World Wine Awards
R280pb ex-cellar, Elgin
Rustenberg Five Soldiers Chardonnay 2023
R550pb ex-cellar, Simonsberg-Stellenbosch
• For the full report, click here.
